10/16/11 St Louis Cardinals 12, Milwaukee Brewers 6

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
NLCS Game 6
STL wins the NLCS 4-2

Welcome to the David Freese Show, starring…David Freese! If NLCS Game 2 was “The Pujols Game,” then NLCS Game 6 has to go down in history as “The Freese Game.” There can be no question that even in the 7th inning, that NLCS MVP trophy was his, hands down. He was the Sultan of Hustle today, only a triple short of the cycle.



It was no small feat to defeat the Brewers at Miller Park for most NL teams this year, but the Cardinals had a winning record there during the regular season, and extended that record during the NLCS. Freese didn’t really come out of nowhere here, he’s been playing well recently, but in Pujolsian fashion he started his rally in the first inning; the table was set with 2 on and 2 outs, 1 run already on the board and Shaun Marcum already sweating like a Derek Lowe. A first pitch 3-run HR
Over the left-center field fence was a formidable statement, to say the least.

I had a hunch this would be a close game, but my hunch was deliberately tossed by Freese, Pujols, Allen Craig, and the rest of the Angry Birds. It wasn’t a collapse by the Brewers, no matter how you look at it…they rallied as hard as the best of us could. But the crowd at Miller Park’s eerie silence just got eerier as the game went on and the crooked numbers kept getting posted.

Of course, with pitching changes galore…there were sprinklings of fantastic pitching moments, but still burned into my brain was Jason Motte’s finish and, of course…the home runs. The most HR in the first 3 innings of a postseason game (3 HR for each team).

Jerry Hairston, Jr’s 15 minutes of baseball fame peaked with this outstanding hook slide in NLCS Game 4, a slide that would have made Wally Yonanime blush. It ended completely during the Brewers’ 3-error inning; Hairston was charged with 2 of the 3 during a single play. Now that’s a little more like the JHJr I recall from recent years.

In other news, Prince Fielder grounds out to Nick Punto in his final at-bat in a Brewers’ uniform. Albert Pujols, in a classy move, calls time when Fielder approaches the box for the crowd’s standing O.

Freese got the trophy, but Nick Punto is awarded with a Golden Sombrero, striking out 4 times in 4 AB. Still a #HappyFlight for the Cardinals, and the end of a great and most admirable run by the Brewers.




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10/10/11 St Louis Cardinals 12, Milwaukee Brewers 3

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
NLCS Game 2

It’s called #BabyMode.

After taking the first game of the NLCS, the Brewers get an unanticipated response from the Cardinals in this moderately lopsided display of offense…no surprise that the meat of it comes from the 2012 FA of the offseason, Mister Albert Pujols.

Don’t call him Alberta.



During the pregame show, Chris Rose, A.J. Pierzynski, and Eric “hair product” Karros discuss the need for adjustment Pujols needs to consider if he is to be a significant contributor to the Cardinals’ postseason success. I picture Albert in the batting cage all night (a la Tony Gwynn), trying to scientifically and systematically determine the source of his hitch and in the same manner of those cheezy 80s sports tearjerkers South Park spoofs on a regular basis, he finds his hitch, makes his adjustments, and after a hearty Bacon-Chocolate shake, buffers his resolve for Game 2. Because the Cardinals need to win tonight.

This sets the stage for “Whoppapalooza,” where the Cardinals rage into control of the game early on, with a table setting that is nothing less than a textbook opportunity for Pujols in the first inning; with 1 on and 1 out Pujols’ hitch vanishes and thus begins ”The Pujols Game,” where Albert plays 8 innings of 4-for-5, 5 RBI, 3 run scoring baseball…each of his 4 hits were for extra bases (10 total bases).

More Angry Bird madness ensues in the 7th inning, where the Cardinals touch RHP Kameron Loe for 6 back-to-back base hits, beginning with Pujols’ 1 out GRD and continuing with 5 consecutive singles for a 4-run inning before Loe gets the hook and is replaced by LaTroy Hawkins.

The funniest moment for me in the game actually started on September 7, when the Cardinals had begun their September run and the ever-pokeworthy Nyjer Morgan taunted the team boldy with these direct comments (spelling not corrected at the Editor’s preference):

Where still n 1st and I hope those crying birds injoy watching tha Crew in tha Playoffs!!! Aaaaahhhhh!!! ... Alberta couldn't see Plush if she had her gloves on!!! Wat was she thinking running afta Plush!!! She never been n tha ring!!! ...

Fast forward to the blastitudinous 7th inning, when Yadier Molina punched a single to right-center, scoring Matt Holliday and bring the Cards to a 9-2 lead over the Brewers with only 1 out and 0-for-3 David Freese on-deck. We see Molina on first, grinning from ear to ear, as he brings his fists up to his face and twists them into a “crybaby” demonstration…it’s called #BabyMode, a direct response to the media-adored Brewers’ #BeastMode celebrations.
I hope Morgan, the crying sud, “injoys” watching the Angry Birds in the WORLD SERIES. Just another reminder that some athletes are really better off at just shutting up and playing the game.



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10/1/11 Arizona Diamondbacks 1, Milwaukee Brewers 4

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
NLDS Game 1

You can count on it, Yovani Gallardo is pretty good at pitching.

The postseason begins as the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks take on the also surprising (but certainly less surprising) Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, where visiting teams tend to fall. Ian Kennedy is a great pitcher, but Gallardo…whoa. Even after a shaky start to his season, he is pitching like Yovani Gallardo when it matters the most: Right here, right now.



Ryan Braun has a great game (3-for-4, 2H, 3 total bases, 2 runs scored, 1 broken bat, 1 flyout), but most fans are used to hearing this. His stunning outfield assist that caught Willie Bloomquist at home with Jonathan Lucroy waiting was very impressive, but I’m still rubbing my eyes at Jerry Hairston, Jr. I hear myself and others saying “well, looks like the real Jerry Hairston, Jr. came to play baseball” and that’s kind of an understatement. His 15 minutes of baseball fame are here, right now. He made two very distinctive defensive plays at 3B, the second of which was a ginormous charge for a 5-3 groundout by Justin Upton.

Gallardo, on the other hand, throws a tidy gem in the process, 8IP, 4H, one R (earned on an 8th inning HR by Brian Roberts), 8K and a BB. And as usual, he looks like he’s about to yawn the entire time.

John Axford earns a save on a 3-up, 3-down inning of work…he pitched for the “closer cycle” with a flyout, a groundout, and a strikeout. And the moustache is looking very outrageous and phenomenal these days.




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4/9/11 Chicago Cubs 0, Milwaukee Brewers 6

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Game 2 of 3



After striking out 12 batters in his first outing as a Cub, yet giving up a career-high 12 hits, Matt Garza returns to face Chris Narveson in Milwaukee. Being very much under the Cubs microscope (of course, his performance NOW will dictate when we’ll see another World Series), Garza finds himself consistent with his previous outing, where his Ks equal his hits…only this time around he gets to bring something new home with him: his first decision as a Cub, one that starts with the letter “L”…



Yes, Garza is still very forgiving to opposing teams regarding contact. You’re going to hear the “switching from AL to NL dilemma” come up quite a bit, but in my opinion we should have no fears…I expect Garza to, at a minimum, perform just as inconsistently as Carlos Zambrano does today. Maybe a little bit better. In this game, not only is this true, but the following is also true: Chris Narveson needs an ERA, and the 2-3-4 Brewers hitters LOVE Matt Garza.

Prince Fielder has never hit 3 consecutive doubles in a game before in his life. He did today. He also managed to do this every time Ryan Braun, at least, was on base.

It’s also true that the 1-6 hitters in the Cubs lineup managed to get a hit off of Narveson, but those hits were lost like tears in rain.

My oh my, how Sean Green has developed as a relief pitcher. His side-arm delivery is deadly these days, pitching a very solid inning with goose-eggs across the line (2 groundouts and a flyout).

Jeff Samardzija, by comparison, walked in a run after walking 4 of 6 batters in the 8th. He also allowed Garlos Gomez to steal 2 bases in the same at bat. As usual, when the Cubs melt down…they do it LARGE.

Go CUBS

4/8/11 Chicago Cubs 7, Milwaukee Brewers 4

Miller Park, Wilwaukee, WI
Game 1 of 3

WOO HOO, the Cubs head for "Wrigley North" (I only write that because it drives Brewers fans BERSERK) for the first time in 2011 and face...

FORMER CUB CASEY McGEHEE



Yes, that's right...Former Cub CASEY McGEHEE. When Len and Bob address the Pirates' Neil Walker as "Cubs Nemesis Neil Walker" it's endearing to most of us, I think. WHen Len and Bob acknowledge players who used to be Cubs, it's also nice for us to be reminded...heck, we can lose track of these guys also, so it's actually a nice gesture. However, for more than enough reasons, I have to ask Len and Bob to make an exception and please oh please stop referring to Casey McGehee, every time he appears at the plate or participates in a play, as "former Cub Casey McGehee." You let us know he used to be a Cub a few years ago, you can stop doing that now. Thanks.

The Cubs played very well. Former New York Mets pitcher and Louisville native Sean Green pitches a spectacular inning of relief for the Brewers, showing off his effective side-arm delivery that we didn't see him use much as a Met.

The Cubs WIN. The Brewers wear fantastic throwback unis. Casey McGehee is NO LONGER A CUB.

Go CUBS.

4/24/10 Chicago Cubs 5, Milwaukee Brewers 1

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Game 2 of 3

CHC 5 10 0
MIL 1 7 1

I scored this game on 2/13/11